Key Takeaways from NASBA’s 2026 Regional Meetings

NASBA members gathered this summer for the 2026 Eastern and Western Regional Meetings, held June 9–11 in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, and June 23–25 in Park City, Utah. Across both meetings, discussions focused on the regulatory issues, trends in the profession and emerging challenges facing State Boards of Accountancy.

Private equity and alternative practice structures remained a major topic. NASBA’s Private Equity Task Force continues to examine these developments, with particular attention to auditor independence and the authority boards already have under their statutes and rules. The task force is developing recommendations that will offer jurisdictions a range of policy options while supporting greater consistency across states.

NASBA also launched the External Relationships Assessment (ERA) Task Force to review the organization’s partnerships and ensure they continue to serve NASBA’s mission and member boards. A session on Puerto Rico’s audit process and time-stamping requirements gave attendees a closer look at how the jurisdiction approaches audit oversight. The discussion provided another example of how regional meetings can help boards compare practices and learn from one another.

On the legislative front, pathways and mobility continue to move forward. Research from the Alliance for Responsible Professional Licensing (ARPL) reinforced an important point: when voters understand what licensing boards do, support for deregulation decreases. The research also underscored the importance of tailoring messages to different audiences.

Kent Absec of NASBA and James Cox of the AICPA opened discussions on the 10th edition of the Uniform Accountancy Act (UAA). Boards voiced strong support for the UAA and its role in promoting consistency across jurisdictions and supporting effective regulation. Participants also expressed broad support for CPA title use, greater uniformity among jurisdictions and development of a common definition of the practice of public accountancy.

On the CPA Exam, CPA Evolution is showing positive results, with volumes and pass rates rebounding in 2025. Boards expressed interest in more detailed Exam data and additional tools to help explain changes to candidates and educators.

Other informative sessions addressed continuing professional education, private-company financial reporting, international relationships and jurisdiction-specific regulatory practices.

The Western Regional Meeting also welcomed participants from the 2026 StudentCPT Leadership Conference. Hosted annually by the NASBA Center for the Public Trust, the conference attracted 56 student leaders representing 29 colleges and universities. During the 2-day conference, students had the opportunity to network with NASBA membership and staff, participate in an ethics based case study competition and hear from speakers covering topics ranging from ethical leadership and team building to networking. NASBA thanks all attendees for their engagement and support of this year’s meetings.